Weekly Check-In #2

This week I viewed the film submissions for Visions6.  There were a lot of interesting films to watch.  I started viewing the films January 23 at 6:30 pm and finished them up on January 24. This process only took a few hours.  I also coordinated a better meeting time for the programming department's weekly meetings.  This allowed every member of the team to participate.  Our meeting was on Monday January 25 at 6:00 pm.  During this meeting we discussed projects each member of the group was working on (noted in the Dirty Dozen blogs) and made sure we were all in sync.  Kevin discussed our Dirty Dozen assignment and went over each of our responsibilities.  Jessica and I will be helping Kevin run the class juries.  During the class juries, I will be responsible for organizing the programs submissions list.  This will allow for a more efficient jury.  The meeting ended at 7:00 pm.  This week I feel more comfortable with my specific duties.  I am getting to know the people in my group as well as the entire class.  I also am getting more comfortable with the database and cannot wait to be of more help to not only my specific team, but also the entire staff of Visions6!

Dirty Dozen

Dirty Dozen Case Study: Class Jury

1. What is the project supposed to achieve?This project will determine which papers and films will be showcased at Visions6 Film Festival.

2. Who is the customer?
Our customers include our classmates who will help choose films/papers to be included in Visions6 through the jurying process.

3. What are the deliverables of the project?

Awesome films and papers that inspire young filmmakers and impress seasoned filmmakers will be presented at Visions6.

4. What is the budget?
NA

5. How long will it take?

3-4 weeks

6. What specific skills are needed?
Organizational skills, efficiency, respect and focus are skills needed to accomplish this task.

7. What special resources are needed?

The database for film and papers created by Kevin to help stay organized as well as film freeway to help stay on top of entries.

8. Who is working the project? What is each person's job?
Me! I am in charge organizing reports and helping with the jurying process during class.

Jessica- Will help lead the class jury and make needed revisions to the database.

Kevin- Will lead the class discussion.

9. What is the schedule?

Jan 18 - Jury abstracts in class, discuss process for rating films.
Jan 26 - Jury films in class round 1

Feb 2- Jury films round 2

Feb 9- Jury films round 3 and Jury papers 1-6

Feb 16- Jury films round 4 and Jury papers 6-12

March 1- Make final decisions on papers and films.

10. What are the risks? (Small vs. large impact, likely vs. unlikely)

• Large impact, likely: Too many films/ papers from the same schools will be chosen.
• Large impact, somewhat likely: The films/ papers chosen by the class will not be favored by the public.
• Large impact, unlikely: Class will refuse to engage in jury process.
• Small impact, likely: Some films/ papers favored by certain classmates will not be chosen for the festival. 
• Small impact, unlikely: Kevin will not be available to lead jury, in which case Jessica and I will take over.

11. How will you communicate with your team?
I will contact my director Kevin through Facebook and class to keep up with the schedule and any other projects he needs help with.  I will also keep up with colleagues in my team through Facebook to ensure we are all on the same page and working towards our goals.

12. How will you determine if the project is successful?
The project will be successful if the festival includes diverse papers/ films that resonate with the public attending Visions6.

Job Descriptions and Manual Blog

As a part of the programming team for Visions6 my direct title is Programming and Traffic assistant.  I will work closely with both the art and marketing departments to ensure information received from filmmaker's attending the festival is correct.  This will ensure that all information is printed correctly.  This position requires organization, for I am also in charge of researching new contacts for call for entries as well as updating the call for entries database.  During the class juries I will be collecting all rubric scores.  I will also use the Filmmaker Pro Database to bring reports from Filemaker to each class meeting and maintain the customized film and abstract tracking.  As Programming assistant, I will work directly with filmmakers and scholars, collecting bios and synopses for the marketing department in order to make the program guide and website.  Headshots and film stills will be collected for the art department.  I will be the time guide for the scholars during their presentations thus ensuring a smooth and clear scholarly block.  The traffic director will also need my assistance helping oversee print traffic, source, format and conversion.  I will also help with any projects my directors assign in order to ensure that Visons6 will be a success!  The programming team will also be responsible for working with the staff at Lumina Theater to schedule walkthroughs and discuss specific settings for each films debut.  I am excited to be a part of this year’s staff for Visions.  I hope to shed my shyness and engage with the many filmmakers I will meet.  I also hope to expand my knowledge in different computer applications such as Google drive, Trello, and Filmmaker Pro Database.  Learning these new skills will help me be more organized and more in tune with today's technology.

Weekly Check -In #1

This was my first week being involved with Visions as a staff member.  While the work is time consuming, it is also rewarding.  During the first class we learned how to grade abstracts.  This helped me determine which out of the 23 abstracts should be included in the festival.  Grading the abstracts took about 2 hours and they were completed on January 14.  I was exposed to many interesting topics and at the same time was able to learn how to correctly write an abstract.   I also met with members of the programming team Kevin and Jessica on Thursday January 14 from 1:00 to 1:30.  While, the meeting was brief, it was also helpful.  Kevin taught us how to navigate Google drive and gave some clarity to the assignments that were due for the week.  He also asked Jessica and I to help complete the programming submissions list.  I completed my portion of the programming submissions list on January 18.  It took about 30 minutes.  To complete the list I logged onto film freeway and researched which films were submitted and logged specific information such as student address, phone number, email address, type of film, school of the student, and the address of the school into the spreadsheet that Kevin created on Google drive.  On January 18 the programming department had their first official meeting from 5pm to 6pm.  At the meeting we discussed specific jobs and expectations of people in the group.  Our group leaders Kevin and Rob made sure everyone was on the same page and new what was expected of them.  While this week was a busy one as far as Visions goes, I feel I contributed to the group and completed all my work on time.  I feel more comfortable with Google drive and Trello.  I am excited to be involved and cannot wait to make new friends!

Festivals of Their Own Blog

Having grown up in Utah, attending the Sundance Film Festival is something I looked forward to every year.  The glamorous parties, exciting films, and the possibility of running into mainstream movie stars was not the only reason I longed for the festival's return each year.  Learning from the filmmakers who had the chance to showcase their work at one of the biggest festivals in the world was also a major part of my excitement, in hopes that one day I could also have a film accepted to Sundance.  It is hard to imagine Sundance as a festival specifically for films rejected by the high-class, star-crazy festivals, as that is what it has become in present day.  Even though Sundance retains much prestige, it is sad that it has "lost its way."  It seems as though it has shifted from providing a place for underdog filmmakers to make their debut, to becoming captivated by the glamor and lucrative benefits that mainstream filmmakers provide.  It is however, exciting to learn that there are different kinds of film festivals all over the world thus allowing novice filmmakers such as myself to get their films shown.  Whether one be in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, or Wilmington, there will be a festival that suits their needs and if not, why not start your own?  What an adventure that would be!  Another adventure,  and one that I am interested in having read this article, is traveling around the world to different film festivals.  The connections and knowledge learned would be priceless and life changing.